Hello everyone! Today I have a special episode for you. We are discussing systematic inequality in America, and how it is not only affecting our communities and students, but what teachers SPECIFICALLY can do about it. To help us navigate these complex issues, I have brought on Dr. Anindya Kundu, a sociologist who currently serves as a Senior Fellow at The City University of New York (CUNY). Dr. Kundu brings his sharp insight to the podcast to discuss his unique work on the fallacy of grit, and how just telling people to "work harder" is ignoring one of the biggest factors that plays into a persons ability to succeed—the supports they receive actively or passively. In this talk we:  Define systematic inequality and grit  Examine underlying systems that fail students who struggle  Begin unpacking the unique role teachers can play in fixing the issues plaguing our schools and communities You do not want to miss this vastly important episode. I learned a lot, and you will too. And once you are done listening (or right now), check out Dr. Kundu's latest book The Power of Student Agency: Looking Beyond Grit to Close the Achievement Gap, due out on July 10th.     This episode is sponsored by Heinemann—the leading publisher of professional books and resources for educators—and by their Reading Strategies Book by Jennifer Serravallo. I hear about this book all the time from teachers because it's so accessible and so respectful of teacher's time. Each page is a different strategy to share directly with a student—little nudges to make whatever skill they're working become automatic. Jen Serravallo really knows what teachers need. Each strategy includes teaching language, prompts, and visuals you can also share with kids. There's 300 strategies total, and they're all organized by important reading goals like comprehension, vocabulary, writing about reading, and more. You'll find something here to help every reader in your classroom grow. If you don't have The Reading Strategies Book, head on over to Heinemann.com to read a sample chapter and find out what you're missing or order yourself a copy.